Train Stop Column: NHL Don't Mess This Up!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010 at 2:19PM 
By Blaine Fentress
I really want to have a cool catchphrase open up Train Stop every time. Just saying “Hello” makes me feel more like a polite nerd. If anybody has any cool catchphrases, leave them in the comments section below. All I ask is to keep it somewhat clean and try to make it clever.
Before we dive into my thoughts for today, let’s get some shout-outs out of the way. Last week, I talked about L.T. and Brian Westbrook heading out to free agency and who knows what else.
Chris H….who, by the way, is a very happy Canadian right now…wrote: “It seems like every off-season this happens to a handful of superstars. It sucks for the players and it sucks for the fans. It was rough for me personally last year when Derrick Brooks got cut by Tampa. One of the few things about the NFL I don’t like but its just something you have to expect to happen at some point in most players careers”
When Derrick Brooks was on, he was the man. Same thing happened to me when the Titans let Eddie George go. It seemed like you wanted to believe that there were still some life left in those legs but, the writing was on the wall for him.
Jeff P wrote: “A local Philly reporter/sportstalk host - who is usually in the Eagles' back pocket said that he believes Westbrook will retire…What is extra impressive about Westbrook is that his past 2-4 years worth of accomplishments have been made while barely practicing. I hope he's able to land somewhere and be successful, but, he might not…”
I don’t think people will truly understand how really good those 2-4 years were for Westbrook. He gathered so many yards from running or receiving that, if he were to play for another 4 - 8 years, he was going to be a first ballot Hall of Famer. Now, I don’t think he did nearly enough to make it in.
On my Facebook page, Mark H. wrote: I don’t know about the “no-pants dance.” Ha.
It is a legitimate dance. Started by the Aztecs and carried on today by those who honor wearing no pants. So, as you can see, we will do shout-outs every column. Thanks to all those who commented. And now, the feature presentation:
NHL: Don’t Mess This Up!!!!
According to NBC, 27.6 million people can’t lie, the Olympic Gold Medal match-up between the USA and Canada was very popular. That number is second to the “Miracle On Ice” team that won the Gold Medal in 1980. People were getting behind Team USA and cheered them on as they went undefeated and were dominate all the way up until their last game. People were also watching Canada rebound from the earlier loss to USA, go into a shootout against the Swiss, and throttle heavily-favored Russia on their way to the Gold Medal game.
And, in that game, it was non-stop action from beginning to end. From what I have read or heard so far, people watched the entire game and were on the edge of their seats. Even normally non-hockey fans were enthralled by what was taking place on the ice. Canada goes up 2-0, USA ties the game with 24 seconds left, and Canada goes in overtime to get the Gold. Plus, the next Great One / Super Mario for Canada, Sydney Crosby, was the one to score the goal. It was great, it was fun, it was basically what makes people watch sports.
But, what dampened all of this a little bit was our friends at the NHL. You remember the NHL, right? It is that league that thinks one outdoor game is enough to build upon the television audience. It is that league that thinks Versus, a cable channel that’s not on every cable network across the nation, is the way to go. It is that league that expanded into the United States market in such break-neck speed, it probably didn’t realize it might be adding one too-many teams into the league. (I think they are up to 56 by now.)
Yes, that very same NHL. On the Fox Business Channel Monday, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman remains noncommittal about having NHL players in the 2014 Olympics. “This notion, this demand to have an immediate decision is silly,” Bettman said.
You see, while we all were enjoying great hockey for the past couple of weeks, NHL owners were losing money from a lack of games and worrying that their all-stars were going to suffer a serious injury. Bettman works for the owners, therefore during these games it comes out that he doesn’t know if Sochi will get to see this much excitement on the ice in four years. Their concerns are warrented, they are losing some dough and in this economy, that's not a good thing. But, you have to balance the value of the goodwill from the Olympics with the value from the dollar. These games make more hockey fans than it would draw people into an arena in the middle of a regular season.
Nothing against the amateurs playing for their country, but the level of play is vastly different between them and the professionals. They play faster, they defend better, they are just much better. But, with amateurs, the NHL season can just churn along with teams that barely draw an audience and games that are so boring sometimes, you are asleep by the 2nd intermission. Carolina vs. Phoenix might thrill some people, but it looks like visual NyQuil to me.
The Olympics have served as an ambassador for the game. There is going to be a bit of momentum for fair-weather fans to turn the NHL back on TV. I am not talking about the fans for Detroit, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia, and other older franchises. I am talking about the people who live throughout the rest of the nation that would find the NHL boring until the playoffs. Watch now as there will be more people caring about the game than any other year.
But, the Bottom Line is this: (I need to get the Blaine Train Megaphone out…here it goes) IT IS ONLY TWO WEEKS FOR EVERY FOUR YEARS!!!! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, NHL? Are you afraid of having some success from the games spread over to you. I did some figuring and took a schedule of the Nashville Predators. Didn’t do the average but, saw that for a two week span, the team can play up to about 9 to 10 games per week, and that is a busy week. 82 games per season. That is up to 10 out of 328 games. The NHL only misses about 3 percent of revenue from games.
So, NHL, don’t mess with a good thing. Let them play again in four years. And try to capitalize on the momentum instead of dragging your feet. Also, get back on ESPN as soon as possible. With that, the train rolls on…
Reader Comments (1)
The players are going to go. Ovechkin already committed to it, he doesnt care what happens. Frankly I dont blame him. Who wouldnt want to compete in the Olympics for their country in their home? If the games were in a non hockey powerhouse country, I think it might not happen, but its going to.
Here's what the NHL is saying between the lines. When Bettman says "an immediate decision is silly" Bettman is really saying "We have to deal with collective bargaining again between now and then, and thats going to be an issue". Aside from exposure, the NHL doesnt really gain anything from letting the players go. I wouldnt be shocked to see Bettman try and figure something out there too. The CBA expires in 2011, after thats resolved, they'll figure out Sochi.